The Tail of Two Towns
by StarLion
Summary: After a strange encounter involving two Pences, Hayner begins to notice even more stranger events - including a visit from himself! But why are there two of him and two of Pence, and where did the second two come from?
1. Double Vision

**A/N: **Well, here we are. One more story from me. I've had this one knocking around in idea-form for some time, but held off working on it until I finished one of the other stories. And now I've finally gotten to that point.

This story technically follows the two stories, The Last Pack and When Vampires Bite - but in this case, you won't need to have read either of them, so don't panic if you haven't. The bits of those two stories used here get mentioned and explained when they crop up.

And that's pretty much all, except of course I don't own Kingdom Hearts in the slightest. Still. Shame, isn't it?

* * *

><p>Five figures sat in the shadows around a rectangle table, two on either side and one at the head. The low light gave nothing away to any of the other members, but they knew each other.<br>The one at the head of the table stood.  
>"Two worlds, identical yet not identical." he intoned in a quiet voice. "Both with the same inhabitants, the same structures, but only one heart to each. One heart for two worlds, linked together through one single point of access."<br>The figure to his right continued, "One world forgotten about, left to go its own way," her voice said, sounding almost silky-smooth. "And yet still linked enough for some effects to be mirrored, or even passed from one world to the other. The worlds are linked because they are one and the same, and what affects one must also affect the other in some form."  
>Now the figure on the other side spoke in a low growl that was impossible to tell what the speaker's gender was. "But those who come into the original world after the mirror world was created have no alternate within the mirror. They are unaffected, unaware. And yet, some inhabitants of the mirror world are aware of them, and talk of them as though they were there. Causing an imbalance, creating links where there should be no links, causing events that affect the mirror world where there should be no such effects."<br>"The imbalance causes further imbalances," the first spoke again. "Like a ship that rocks and takes on water, the water only causes the rocking to become worse, and so the ship takes on yet more water. The more water, the more the ship rocks, until it sinks."  
>There was a long pause, then one of the last two figures spoke in a calm and more casual way. "The imbalance has to be corrected before the mirror world reaches that fate. Something must be done," he added insistently.<br>"I trust the two of you have been able to devise a solution?" the head figure addressed both him and the one figure who had yet to speak.  
>"We have. It's time we made contact with the original world through someone who has no idea about any of us. Someone without any preconceptions about the situation."<br>"To what end?" the silky voice asked.  
>"With the right persuasion applied to the right person, we can cause an exchange. Two, to be exact. Myself and... one other. I will take my counterpart's place to allow for free access between the worlds, while he will have to remain under guard here among the rest of us."<br>"And the other?" the growl came.  
>"They will also exchange, though it will be known about as opposed to the kidnapping necessary for me to take my counterpart's place there. We will have them leave our version there, and their one will return here for us to... exploit."<br>"And who do you propose we nominate for this task?" the head inquired.  
>The final figure made a movement, setting a small circle disk into the centre of the table with one slender arm. "Him," she answered, tapping a button on it before the arm disappeared. The disk projected lights above the table, forming a green wire frame of a person that slowly began to appear more and more human. He had blonde hair, a grey vest over a black shirt, and green pants with matching footwear.<br>"Hayner," the head identified the boy projected above the table. "He will be perfect."  
>"It will have to be done in two phases," said the silky voice. "First we will have to install our friend into their world. It will not be easy to get him or anyone out, so we must plan accordingly."<br>"Leave that to me," the casual voice replied calmly. "I can get myself out, and my counterpart in. As soon as you have him here, get him secured and we can start the second phase."  
>"Your confidence is inspiring," he was told by the growl beside him. "But some of us do not share in it. How can you be certain this will work?"<br>"Because I know my counterpart. Will you approve our plan?"  
>There was a silence around the table. The slender arm reached in again, deactivating the projection, then its hand remained above the disk. The hand of the casual voice reached in, his arm in a white sleeve.<br>After a pause, a thicker and hairy arm extended a similarly large hand to theirs, followed by one in a white glove that went up almost to the elbow. Though the shadows masked the movements, all heads turned to the figure still stood at the head of the table.  
>A hand that appeared to be either made from, or encased in something shiny black came into the small light on the table, placed on top of all the others. "Begin phase one," he said quietly. After only a few moments, the hands and their owners dispersed, leaving only the final hand in the light. It was brought almost to the edge of the light, turned by its owner as if to examine it. "The real world awaits us," he murmured so quietly it sounded almost like there was a faint wind speaking. "Our chance to become real has come at last."<p>

Hayner lounged in the Usual Spot with Olette and Pence not far away, as usual each with an ice cream in hand. Pence had barely touched his though, sat leaning on one arm staring at the floor in thought.  
>"Hey, Pence!" Hayner called, extra loud in case Pence was thinking so deep he'd gone deaf. "Whatcha thinking about?"<br>"The howls," he answered, distractedly. "There's been less of them recently."  
>"Isn't that a good thing?" Olette suggested. "After what happened..." she trailed off.<br>A little over three months ago, Twilight Town had been attacked by a swarm of vampires that had sucked every last resident of their blood and turned the lot of them into even more vampires. They'd then been ordered over to some town built around a fortress, a command the quicker to recover had been unable to resist.  
>While there, they had been told about the Werewolves, and told they would be witnesses to the last of the Werewolves being defeated by the first of their own kind. Hayner remembered the incident well, he and Pence had a clear view of the arena, not to mention of Seifer and his gang just two rows ahead of them.<br>But it had been the Werewolf that had attracted their attention, because they all knew him as Sora. They'd thought little of his chances, but Sora threw the offer of surrender back in his opponent's teeth then turned around and defeated him.  
>Just as quickly as they'd become vampires, the death of this first vampire had restored their stolen humanity back to them, curing them. For many this was considered a miraculous blessing, but there were a few that held otherwise.<br>Then a couple months after that incident, they'd begun to hear wolf howls from outside the town, and occasionally within the town as well. Those heard within the town always seemed to get cut off in mid howl, but no one ever found out why. No one ever found out who or what was howling. If there was a Werewolf in their midst, they were doing a very good job of keeping it from everyone else.  
>"I dunno," Pence said at last. "I get the feeling what we were told about them just wasn't true. If the howls in town are Werewolf howls, then why don't we see any? What they told us about them doesn't fit; if they were right, then we should all either be dog food or Werewolves ourselves."<br>"So what?" Hayner replied, leaning back. "It's still a good thing, right?"  
>"I dunno," Pence repeated. "I want to find out more about the Werewolves. See if what we were told is true or not."<br>"If it's not, we're gonna get chomped."  
>"Since when has that bothered you?" Olette replied. "You didn't seem to have any trouble with the vampires."<br>"Not until one of them ran me down and cornered me," Hayner muttered. Running away hadn't gone down well with him, but it at least let him keep his humanity a little longer. "So how do ya plan to track a Werewolf down here in Twilight Town, Pence?"  
>"I'm working on it," he answered, at last starting on his ice cream. "I think I know where they're coming from, I just haven't figured out how to see the place without being seen."<br>"Top of the clock tower?"  
>"Too far away," he shook his head. "Everything I've turned up says somewhere in the tram common, but no one's seen anything. That suggests the rooftops to me. Now you tell me there's somewhere we can watch them from, and not get watched in return."<br>"Why not just use the clock tower to find out where we gotta look, and take it from there? It's not like it's gonna be too dark to see, right?"  
>"It could work," Pence conceded, thought doubtfully. "I don't think we'll get anything useful-" He broke off as another howl filled the air. It was much quieter than all the previous ones, as if the one howling was too weak to put forth a full effort.<br>They all paused to listen, then Pence headed out quickly. Olette and Hayner shared a look, then they followed after him. They could catch up with him easily.  
>The howl was not cut short this time, but it was already starting to grow fainter as they followed Pence into the various back streets and alleyways of Twilight Town. When it petered out entirely, he stopped, looking thoughtful.<br>"What was that about?" Hayner asked him when they caught up. "You just dashed out like... like I would have!"  
>"I think I know where that one came from," Pence puffed in response. "Come on, howl again!" he burst out suddenly. As if on cue, the howl sounded again, much closer but still weakly, and Pence was off again.<br>The howl was cut off this time, just after Pence had rounded the next corner. Before they managed to get around there was a sound like someone getting hit, then Pence's voice muttered something.  
>When Hayner and Olette joined him, they found no sign of whatever had been howling, but two Pences. One was out cold on the ground, looking almost identical to the one stood over him, except the unconscious one wore a white headband in contrast to Pence's normal black. He glanced up as they turned the corner.<br>"What a find, huh?" he asked them. "I thought we'd find something howling, but it turns out to be some kind of copy of me."  
>"What happened to him?" Olette asked, moving to check the unconscious Pence.<br>"He attacked me, of all things," Pence replied. "Don't know why, but I got him back. I think I might have hit him a bit too hard though. I didn't mean to knock him out."  
>"What about the howl? Did you find anything for that?"<br>Pence shook his head, then patted his new twin down, turning up a small box that looked like a speaker. He touched one of the buttons on it, and the same howl they'd been hearing came from it.  
>"Guess that solves that mystery. Wonder who made it, and why?"<br>"We ought to get this Pence somewhere safe," Olette said, ignoring this. "We can't just leave him here."  
>"We can't let just anyone find him though," Pence pointed out. "I know! Why don't we take him up to that old mansion? No one will ever look for him there."<br>"You're never gonna get him through town without someone noticing him," Hayner pointed out.  
>"Nonsense. We'll just pack him into a box or something, and say we're helping someone out." As he said it, he leaned on a crate nearby that looked just big enough. "Convenient this one's right here for us, huh?"<p> 


	2. Suspicions

It took both Hayner and Pence to shift the crate even though it had small wheels on the bottom of it. Pence had slung a rope around it, insisting he should be the one to to pull and guide it, while Hayner shoved from behind to keep it moving between tugs, while Olette went ahead to keep a lookout for any troubles, and occasionally warn those who might have been inconvenienced by their passage.  
>Along the way Hayner noticed Pence seemed to be acting slightly differently since the appearance of the copy of him. He seemed more comfortable in the shadows than in the sunlight, and when in the light he kept one hand between his eyes and the light so he wouldn't have to endure it.<br>When they'd paused for a break, Olette had offered to get them all another ice cream, but Pence had turned this down, and when persuaded to have one he insisted on strawberry instead of their usual sea salt flavour. Pence normally hated strawberries.  
>The strangest occurrence was when they passed Vivi and Fuu, apparently talking. Both stopped to watch them go by, but Pence gave a friendly wave to them that made Fuu give a faintly surprised expression for a moment before hesitantly returning it.<br>"What was that about?" Hayner called up to him after they'd gone by.  
>"What was what about?" Pence replied.<br>"Have you got some kind of secret crush on her?" he asked slyly.  
>"What? Me?" he spluttered. "We're just-" he paused, then continued, "It was just being friendly, that's all. Nothing to it. Why, is that not allowed now?"<br>"Don't be silly. I was only teasing you anyway."  
>It was a difficult job to get the crate through the narrow cave into the old woods, with several gouged carved into the wood by the rocks, and an even tougher job to haul it over the grass beyond, forcing them to pause for a break.<br>"I'm just gonna check on him," Pence told them when they did, pulling down one side. Hayner couldn't see what he was doing, but it didn't sound like he was doing anything at all. After a few moments, Pence muttered, "Huh. Shoulda known. Though why he'd..." he trailed off, closing the crate again with a slam. "He's still out cold, but fine," he reported, coming back into view.  
>"Shoulda known what?" Hayner asked him curiously.<br>"Nothing. Just something he's... missing."  
>"Like what?"<br>"Check your neck, Hayner. I'll bet there's still two red spots where you got bitten by the vampires, right? Well, he's got them too, just like me. Aside from that headband, he's identical to me. I think I'm going to stick around at the mansion when we get him there, see if I can make use of that computer in the basement to find out something about him. We'll take him there, then you guys can go on back, I'll tell you what I find tomorrow."  
>"What if he wakes up?" Olette asked. "And what if he attacks you again?"<br>"I'll just have to KO him again," Pence shrugged. "It's not like I won't be ready for him this time."  
>Pence started to tug on the crate again, not bothering to wait for them to finish their break.<br>"Is it just me, or is he acting slightly differently?" Hayner murmured to Olette.  
>"Anyone would be surprised to find a perfect copy of them attacking them," she pointed out. "Maybe this is just because of that."<br>Hayner remained unconvinced, but returned to helping shift the copy of Pence anyway.  
>The crate would not go up the steps into the mansion itself, so the two of them removed him from the crate and manhandled him down into the same room as the computer once more under Olette's guidance so they wouldn't slip down any stairs or anything.<br>With the copy safely on the floor, Pence immediately turned to the computer, examining its bewildering array of screens and interfaces.  
>"I don't get how you understand any of that," he remarked.<br>"It's a gift," Pence shrugged. "You might as well go on ahead and leave. I've got to completely rebuild the system so it can handle the examination. Right now it's just a complete wreck. I'm amazed it's even still working after this much neglect."

Pence waited until he was sure they'd left, then shook his head in disgust.  
>"Secret crush!" he snorted. "On her? What does he take me for? The only reason she ever looked at me was because she needed me. And that was only so we could all get out. It's not like it was <em>my <em>idea, after all. _She's _ the one who claims I'm not necessary, but without me who'd get Hayner in, and them out, huh?"  
>He continued to mutter complaints to himself over a range of topics, from the bright sunlight to the stupidity of the friends of this world's Pence. A quick change of headbands, and they'd believed he was their Pence. Even Olette had tried to put the differences down to shock of seeing a copy.<br>"Copy!" he muttered with contempt when worked around to mentioning that particular comment. "As if it wasn't bad enough that it's true, now I have to put up with that comment all the time... and they'll want to know more about this 'copy' of me no doubt, just reminding me of what I am..."  
>As he continued his rant, he tied up the other Pence, binding his ankles and hands with rope, then adding a gag. He didn't bother to be gentle with his counterpart, and anyway he'd likely be coming to soon, and he didn't want him running off to tell anyone what had really happened. A little pain might persuade him to stay put a bit longer.<br>Having him escape before he'd managed to reactivate the uplink to the other world, their world, that would be disastrous. They were counting on him, whether Fuu liked him or not.  
>"Report," a voice growled at him through the speakers after he'd done some extensive work on the computer.<br>"I've got him," he replied, hiding the ire he'd echoed in his previous remarks. "They don't suspect a thing."  
>"Is he in position?"<br>"Just a moment," he answered, then moved the still slumbering Pence onto a platform with an odd looking laser device above it. The way in – or out. "He is now," he told the unidentified speaker, keying in the commands that were necessary on his end. There were similar sounds from that speaker doing the same on their end, then the device emitted a beam of light that encompassed the platform, causing the Pence on it to vanish.  
>"We have him here," the growl confirmed, then, "Was it really necessary to tie him up?"<br>"Precautions," he explained laconically. "When do we proceed with phase two?"  
>"The exchange will be made tomorrow afternoon. Hayner has no idea he is being used. Make sure neither he or his counterpart find out."<br>"You really need to remind me? I did think up most of this scheme myself, you know."  
>"Do not forget your place," the reply came, the growl lower in tone. The computer beeped twice, then signalled that the connection had been lost. It wouldn't become stable enough for regular communication until he repaired the computer at the other end from here, let alone the maintenance required here. It had fallen into considerable disrepair, and though it still function, it was not at its best.<p>

Pence started to become more aware of his surroundings slowly. It was dark, and he could only just make out shadowy figures in the gloom. He could also clearly make out bars around him, forming a cage.  
>He tried to call out, but found at some point he'd been gagged. Why had he been gagged? He thought back to what had happened. He'd rounded a corner, seen himself, then that mirror image of him had knocked him out. But who was that mirror image, and why had he attacked?<br>"Ah, mister Pence you are awake at last," a soft voice murmured from that darkness. "Welcome to Twilight Town... or as we have come to know it, the City of Endless Night. Because you see, the sun no longer shines here for us. I could release you from your bonds," the voice went on, now circling the cage. Pence tried to shift to follow it, but the bindings made it difficult. "I can see you are struggling from them. But you must first understand your situation. Obviously, you are a captive, but you are also a guest. You will be treated well, provided you treat us well. In short, treat us how you would want us to treat you. Try to escape, and we will be forced to confine you again. But right now, I should think you will understand that I will have to keep you confined here until I deem it safe to release you, no?"  
>Pence nodded in case it would get him released any sooner. The rope around his wrists was starting to feel like it was either burning or digging deeper into them. A shadowy figure squatted near the edge of the cage, extending one arm. What came into view was a shiny black blade that seemed to curve around to reach the ropes tying his feet together, then upward to his wrists, and finally around to the back of his head to cut loose the gag.<br>"Who are you?" he demanded as soon as he could speak again, massaging his wrists. "And what do you want with me?"  
>"All in good time, mister Pence. All in good time."<br>"My friends will come looking for me," he threatened.  
>"Your friends are unaware you are even missing to begin with," the voice replied. "And if they do not believe you are missing, they will not come looking. But you are partly right nevertheless. One of your friends will be coming, but not for you."<br>"What then?"  
>"Merely a furtherance of our own goals, no more. Once he has done what we require of him, we will all be free, yourself included. And then we will no longer need to hide in the darkness. We will enjoy the light that you are used to, and walk the streets of Twilight Town like you do. We will be real... like you are."<br>"Real? What do you mean?"  
>But the voice said no more, and as his eyes started to adjust to the lack of light, he realized that the speaker had gone and left him alone.<br>What was going on here?


	3. Double, Double, Heading for Trouble

Pence was already waiting for them in the Usual Spot under the tracks when Hayner and Olette got there, a rarity since Pence frequently took his time getting anywhere.  
>"About time," he muttered when they entered. "I was beginning to think you didn't want to know."<br>"Why, what did you find out?" Olette asked him.  
>"Nothing I didn't already know. He was identical to me. Can't tell how he was made, who did it or why."<br>"Was?" Hayner repeated. "What's that meant to mean?"  
>"Exactly that – when it got late, he stopped being the same just by disintegrating. There's nothing left at all now, and there's nothing to go on."<br>"Maybe it's better that way," Olette said, taking a seat nearby. "Maybe something's going on that we aren't meant to get involved in."  
>"Well what if I wanna get involved in it, huh?" Hayner replied. "I want to know who's making copies of us and why."<br>"Guess that makes two of us." It was still Hayner's voice, but it came from the doorway instead of him. "Literally," it went on, pushing past the tattered red curtain that gave them privacy from outside. Not only did the voice sound identical to Hayner's, the owner looked identical too – identical except for the shirt, white on black instead of the normal black on white the real Hayner wore.  
>"First two Pences," Olette murmured. "Now there are two of you. What's going on here?"<br>"Why don't you let me explain?" the second Hayner suggested. "There's two Twilight Towns. Yours and mine. Everyone here has a copy there, and I'm yours. I found a computer in the basement of the old mansion in my Twilight Town, started playing around with it since Pence wasn't around, and next thing I know there's this bright light. Nothing else looks different, so I go back outside only to find there's a sun back in the sky, and I'm here in your Twilight Town."  
>"You don't have a sun in your sky?" Pence asked sceptically. "If you live in a copy of Twilight Town, you should have a sun just like ours does."<br>"We used to, but it disappeared ages ago. We're used to the dark now anyway, maybe too much. Staying out in your light for too long hurts my eyes. See here," he added holding his arms out. "I'm already starting to burn, and I've been keeping in the shade as much as possible. I'm not meant to go out in the light."  
>"Why find us though?" Hayner asked his opposite. "I mean, what can we do?"<br>"You mean besides having the best place in all of Twilight Town for me to hide from the light? Who else can I go to? I caught sight of your Seifer along the way here – he's nicer than mine is, but that doesn't make him any better to go to."  
>"Yeah, but there isn't anything else we can do."<br>"I'm not so sure," Pence cut in, looking thoughtfully from one Hayner to the other. "If he's right, then there should be a way back to his Twilight Town from ours, probably at the same computer he used to get here."  
>"So we can send him back?"<br>"Maybe it'd be a good idea not to send him back just yet. I remember looking at that computer, there was some kind of simulated Twilight Town running, so maybe the reason their sun has disappeared is because the simulation is failing. If you went in his place, I could work with you to try and repair the simulation. You'd just have to find places that aren't working the way they're meant to, anything out of the ordinary, and let me know so I can fix it."  
>"If he's in my Twilight Town, how's he meant to tell you?" the second Hayner demanded. "And anyway, he doesn't know the slightest thing about the place! He doesn't even look like me!" he added, plucking at the shirt.<br>"We can switch the shirts," Pence sighed, speaking as if to a simpleton. "And I think I can find a way to keep an eye on him. You two will have to spend a little time exchanging information so you're both ready to live in each other's world for a time."  
>"Why don't I just go back and do it?"<br>"Because you're from there. You'd miss some things because you're so used to them being that way."  
>"I reckon we should do it," the real Hayner told his counterpart. "I mean, what've we got to lose? You'll get used to the light out here, and I'll get to help fix up your world in there."<br>"I knew you'd say that," the other Hayner grinned. "But I _am_ you. So I know you better than anyone else."

After spending some time working out the immediate details, Hayner had insisted he'd be able to pick up everything he needed as he went along in the simulated Twilight Town, just as his opposite had insisted he'd be able to do the same for this world.  
>So they gathered in the basement of the old mansion, Pence and the real Hayner coming as one pair, then after a delay Olette brought the copy of Hayner with her. Now while Pence manned the computer, she kept watch for anyone that might have been paying more attention and gotten curious about seeing two Hayners. All the while the two Hayners, now clothed appropriately for their worlds, waited impatiently.<br>"How much longer, Pence?" the copy Hayner asked. "It didn't take this long when I accidentally sent myself out."  
>"I'm amazed you managed to get out in one piece," Pence replied. "It's a delicate operation, transferring someone between the two worlds. One mistake and you could become just so much dust."<br>"Maybe that's what happened to your copy?" the real Hayner suggested. "Someone on the other side activated it and vaporised him?"  
>"Possible. I'll look into it later. Anyway, it's ready when you are."<br>Hayner quickly got onto the circle platform that Pence had informed them was the access point, then signalled he was ready. In a few short moments, the machinery above him whirred into life, shot a brilliantly white beam down around him, then both beam and him vanished.  
>"Did he make it alright?" the remaining Hayner asked.<br>"He's fine," Pence replied. "I'll keep an eye on him. I'm going to look into his idea anyway. You two go on back into town."  
>"Just... make sure he avoids the beach, will you?"<br>"You mentioned it already. I'll keep him out."  
>Pence watched them leave, then muttered, "Think I don't know? I'm the whole reason you're here... still, having no one suspect..." He tapped away at the computer, then another voice emanated from it.<br>"We seem to have a guest," the silky voice murmured. Unlike the growl, the owner of this voice was illuminated on the screen by a soft flickering light. Candles, probably. She looked ever inch a lady, except for the tell-tale red eyes. Bright red, Pence noted absently. She'd sated her vampiric craving very recently.  
>"Tell me you didn't." Pence said.<br>"Of course not. Little Hayner is untouched and unharmed. I'm seeing to that myself. And how are things in the land of the light?"  
>"The place is far too nice for it's own good. And too bright. Have you any idea how much sunblock I've had to put on just to stop myself from burning the moment I go outside? Our Hayner didn't know, so he's already starting to turn red."<br>"Patience, my son," the woman crooned. "You will adapt. We all will. It is only because there is none of our Hexafaun in their world."  
>"Next time someone comes through..."<br>"Say no more. I will instruct someone to bring you some from my own private garden. Only the best Hexafaun leaves in our world for you my child."  
>Pence's irritability faded to a content smile, and he reached out to the image on the screen as if he could touch her.<br>"Mother... please make the others hurry along? I don't like being alone like this."  
>"I know, child. We'll all be there soon. Have patience for your dear mother."<p>

Hayner stumbled slightly as the light cleared, feeling light headed. He appeared to be in exactly the same room, though without anyone else in. The computer nearby looked considerably worse for wear, as if it had been badly damaged before, and only a few attempts to patch it up had been made.  
>The lights here did not function any longer, except for a few that flickered feebly to provide a very dim light. It was enough to see by, but no more.<br>He warily retraced his steps to the ground floor of the mansion, noticing almost immediately that there was none of the light that normally streamed through the dusty windows. When he slipped out the front doors of the mansion he saw that his counterpart had been right; the sun no longer lit up the sky here. It was inky black, with no stars, no moon, nothing. Just blackness. The only visible light came from a small luminescent green fungus that seemed to be everywhere, on the ground, the walls, tree trunks, even covering other plants. Despite the lack of light, the plant life that hadn't been suffocated by this fungus appeared to be in perfect health, as if there was nothing missing at all.  
>However, the similarities began to end once he made it back into the town itself. In place of the sun blasted orange stones and bricks, there were greys and blacks that seemed to absorb what scant light there was to begin with, making everything seem darker around them. There were few posters or noticeboards around like there were in his own Twilight Town, and very few people abroad. Most kept to the darker areas and scuttled past quickly, keeping their distances from him and each other.<br>But the biggest difference was the clock tower above the station. It wasn't that it wasn't there or that it was built from different coloured materials, but that the top of it above the clock extended much higher, and looked more like a turret for a castle. There were even ravens circling around it  
>He shivered slightly, in part due to the colder temperature here, but mostly because the entire place had a chilling kind of atmosphere to it. It was like living inside a nightmare.<p> 


	4. Hidden Plant

Hayner had returned into the forest before the mansion to retrieve a small clump of the glowing fungus to use as a makeshift torch. It didn't seem to dissipate once plucked, but he found he had to take care not to forget about it, because the fungus appeared to be still alive in some manner, trying to wrap itself around his hand. He kept having to pluck it off again, until he gave up entirely. He'd just have to get used to the darkness here.  
>The darkness held it's own share of difficulties for him though. As there was little light to go by, and his eyes had yet to get used to the depth of the darkness, he frequently lost track of where he was. The layout was the same as his own Twilight Town, but he was used to being able to tell where he was by his surroundings, and here in these unfamiliar surroundings it was impossible to tell where he was.<br>Several times he almost tripped up on uneven paths, too. They were in much worse condition here, and made getting around troublesome for the unwary. He was forced to slow down and test his footing along the rougher routes.  
>"This is absurd," he muttered to himself, finally finding his way back on to what should have been market street. "There aren't just a few things wrong, this entire world is wrong." Then he wrinkled his nose as an acrid scent reached him. Somehow he got the distinct impression it smelled red, and strongly of cinnamon as well.<br>He took a few moments to orient himself, then started to follow the scent where it seemed stronger, heading back down the street and down a back path. A smile formed when he recognised the area, and it grew when he realized the scent was coming from what was, in the real Twilight Town, the Usual Spot.  
>He brushed aside the curtain to find that it was completely different here though. Someone had turned it into some kind of plant shop, with only one variety sold. They were all set in various sized pots that oddly, were blue. Each of them reached upwards on a thin yellow stem, and they always had three large similarly yellow leaves that looked almost like shovels. Only the largest of these plants, kept not only behind the counter but behind a wire mesh, had four or more leaves, and none of them had more then eight at most. They all shared the same acrid red cinnamon scent though, almost overpowering this close to them.<br>These plants must be native to this world, he reasoned. He'd never seen anything like them in his own world, that was certain. But here in this world, in the place of his opposite, he could hardly ask what they were. No doubt he was meant to know what they were, and what they were for.  
>"Hayner!" a voice exclaimed from a small doorway, hidden behind the counter. Olette scrambled to her feet, though she looked nearly completely different, with totally white, nearly colourless hair, wearing blue in place of her usual cream and oranges, and with eyes that appeared larger than her own counterpart's.<br>"Uh... I didn't see you there," Hayner covered quickly.  
>"That's 'cause I wasn't there. I only just got back. Here," she said, reaching under the counter. "Your order came in." She brought up a smaller one, different from the others for having six leaves instead. "You've no idea how long it took me to get the Hexafaun to sprout like this. Make sure you save the seedlings, because they should sprout exactly the same kind of plant. Give them plenty of water, and they'll come up ready in three, maybe four days."<br>"Thanks," he replied, taking it off her. What did his counterpart want with this stuff, and what was it for? "Something told me you had it in, so I just... came in," he added, improvising.  
>"Sure thing," Olette laughed. "Like when something told you to go play in the briar, so you just went in? How did you think you were going to get out of that one without a scratch on you?"<br>"I dunno, I guess I just did," he shrugged. Evidently he and the other Hayner weren't as similar as it first appeared.  
>"You alright, Hayner? You don't look as pale as usual since getting back from the old mansion. Did something happen to you up there?" she asked, growing concerned.<br>"N-no, nothing, I guess I just... I dunno. I'm fine, don't worry about me. Anyway, where's Pence?"  
>Concern changed to contempt. "Who cares? The spoiled brat knows better than to show his face in these parts anyway. Why do you want to know?"<br>"So I can avoid him, of course. What else?"  
>This seemed to mollify her, so he thanked her again for the odd plant, then headed back out again. He'd solved the mystery of the acrid smell, but had gained the mystery of these plants.<br>For now there seemed to be little else he could do, so he headed to what he hoped was still his home. Maybe there'd be some more helpful clues there for him.  
>Along the way he paused beside one alley, listening to the voices he'd heard coming from it.<br>"Come on, just one leaf!" the voice was practically begging, but it wasn't one he knew.  
>"I told you, get your own!" Seifer's voice, though far harsher than usual. Well, Hayner had said the Seifer here wasn't as nice as their own. "Look, stop bugging me, old man!" Seifer snapped again after a few moments, closer. Hayner quickly moved on, though he continued to listen.<br>"Only one leaf of the Hexafaun, please!"  
>"Get lost, or it'll be my fist you'll be getting!"<br>So the leaves were meant to be eaten? Hayner hurried on until he was certain Seifer wasn't around, just in case he decided to pick on him next, then made sure he was alone before he plucked one of the leaves off the plant. Somewhat hesitantly he took a small bite out of it, only to find it tasted even stronger of cinnamon than it smelled, with a faint hint of apple to it. It wasn't unpleasant, and it didn't seem to have any immediate effect on him, so deciding it was probably a bad idea to stay out for too long, he quickly finished it off, spitting out the seeds to keep them, remembering Olette had told him to save them.  
>Maybe this was just the stuff they ate here, he reasoned. But then why had someone been trying to get some off him? If Olette was running a store for it, why not just buy it?<br>Unless it wasn't just something they ate, and the reason Olette's store was in the Usual Spot, hidden back out of the way, unobtrusive and only there to anyone who knew or caught the scent, and there was some kind of hidden secret to the Hexafaun. Maybe he shouldn't have eaten that leaf – but it was too late to be considering that now!  
>He poked gingerly at his stomach as if expecting it to react, but nothing happened. Still, a delayed reaction... it would take time to digest. Better that he get home sooner. He had to believe it would still be his home here, and that it would be relatively safer than this place looked.<br>So he checked the area again, then headed back out into the streets, concentrating on where he was and where he was going so he wouldn't end up getting lost in these almost familiar streets. He couldn't shake the feeling that there was someone watching him, and paused several times to look around, but every time he stopped, even when suddenly to try and catch any followers by surprise, there was never anyone there.  
>His vision seemed to improve as he continued along, and with that he started to notice more. He began to notice the chinks between the stones, previously hidden by the monotonous colours, and in the corners of the shadows he spotted tiny creatures, almost like mice but with six legs, darting around, clustering in alleyways to chew on anything exposed.<br>Then, when he caught sight of the door to his home, knowing he was almost certainly on the last part of this excursion, it hit him; a sudden wave of warmth that came accompanied by a feeling of pure bliss.  
>This was why Olette's store was kept out of sight, the part of his mind still working sensibly realized – it wasn't food, it was just a plant that caused euphoria. He managed to keep his sensibility long enough to let himself into his home, then slid down against the door to just let it wash over him.<br>The initial rush from it passed quickly however, though the warmth remained. He couldn't say how long it took, having been too distracted to pay attention to the time, but it couldn't have been long. He felt buoyed, as if the leaf had given him a new burst of energy. He hadn't felt tired before, but with the way this felt, that felt tired in comparison. This was obviously one powerful leaf, not one to be overlooked lightly.  
>But a nagging thought caught his attention. Why did it grow only here in this world, and not in his own?<br>There was no point in trying to reason it out, so he started to check his home here. It looked very similar to his own, of course it would be if his own one had been the basis for this. Some few things appeared out of place. One set of shelves had been shoved aside, with clear marks on the floor underneath where the carpet had been folded aside instead of underneath the shelves.  
>He set down the Hexafaun plant on a table, then shoved the shelves back to what to him was their normal place, a good half-dozen paces down the wall. Hidden behind it was a small door set in the wall, and a similarly small trapdoor in the floor. He tugged up the trapdoor, allowing him to reach under the one in the wall and open it too, then set off down the steep steps behind, ducking through the narrow doorway.<br>At the foot of the steps was a dark room, but his eyes still held on to their better night sight, and he was able to see clearly. Either that, or the improved sight he'd gained was another effect of the Hexafaun leaf.  
>What he saw was a small, square room, only just barely tall enough for him to stand up in. The floor was covered in earth, and neat lines of stems rose up out of the ground. One or two had tiny leaves starting to sprout.<br>The leaves and stems were all the same yellow as the Hexafaun plant he had up above.  
>As he turned to leave, he noticed a half-full watering can, and a tap on the end of a pipe that came down from above. He gave a glance back to this secret garden of Hexafaun plants, then took out the seeds from the leaf he'd eaten earlier, planting them where there was some space at the end of a line, then hesitated. How much to water them? He didn't want to ruin his counterpart's work with them, not if this was the kind of effect to be expected from the leaves.<br>A quick and careful search of the room revealed a small pad hidden in a far corner that held detailed notes on caring for them in Olette's handwriting, and further notes in his own scrawlings that kept note on each of the rows and plants. Once he understood the notes, he watered all the plants just enough, made a note on the pad to keep up his counterpart's work on them, then headed back upstairs and brought the newly acquired potted Hexafaun down. He didn't plant it in the ground; Olette's notes suggested that changing the soil conditions would be harmful to the plant, and he had no idea what the soil on the ground was like. For now, it could survive in the pot with a little extra water.  
>Then as it seemed like it wasn't something people openly dealt in, when he returned to the room above again,he closed the doors again and pushed the shelves back in place, this time ensuring the carpet did not get folded aside. If anyone had come looking for these plants and had seen that, it would probably have given them away, and he didn't want to get in trouble for growing these things. Even if the effect was worth it.<p> 


	5. Watch out for Wolves

His home in this alternate world appeared to be mostly identical to his own aside from its hidden Hexafaun garden. The only hints that it was not truly his own appeared to be some slight variation in the choice of colours, not just in clothing but in almost everything.  
>There was a curious collection of additions though, including a slightly larger than normal dog flap in the back door, a large dog basket that had a clear view of the black sky outside, and a cupboard that was designed with a kind of handle that seemed made for a paw. Inside was a lot of raw meat, kept packaged but in such a way that it was still easy to get to them.<br>Eventually he reasoned that there was no way he was going to be able to help fix this Twilight Town if he stayed here, so retrieved another leaf from the garden in case he felt he needed it, and headed back out into town. It was time to find out more about this place.  
>Still feeling the effects of the first leaf he'd consumed, he felt more confident when he left than he had before. Now it had taken full effect, he could see that the town was in fact still coloured the same oranges that his own Twilight Town was, it was just the lack of light which made it appear otherwise. As this plant improved his sight to see without needing any light, everything looked almost normal again.<br>There were still differences. The fungus was still scattered around, now looking an eerie grey colour instead of the previous green it had appeared to be. It was much less prevalent within the town itself, seeming to prefer and even live off other kinds of life. Occasionally he spotted another of the odd six-legged mouse like creatures that had fungus growing on it, and once even one that was completely covered in it. While hampered by it, the creature did not appear to be overly concerned by it giving it a somewhat fearsome visage that drove off others of its kind.  
>These creatures appeared to be merely scavengers and no threat to him or anyone else. Not that there was anyone else around, the streets were still mostly deserted. Once or twice he thought he caught sight of someone familiar, but such encounters were always few and far between.<br>The only guaranteed meeting he had was in the common, where the stores were. Even then, the storekeepers kept themselves hidden behind protective screens and chose to hide themselves away as much as possible. This town was paranoid when it came to other people, that much was clearly obvious. Did no one cooperate with anyone here?  
>Then there was the keep that sat atop the clock tower here. The clock tower itself still sat underneath it, apparently unchanged and telling him it was getting close to midday, while the keep rose up above it, perfectly circular and apparently constructed from one unbroken piece. Doubtless that impression would be cured by seeing it close up.<br>From the clock tower he'd also have a good view of the town and surrounds, allowing him to spot any more larger differences easily, so started to make his way up to the station. As he ascended the hilly streets though, he started to catch the feeling there was someone or something following him.  
>Hayner didn't try to find the source so openly this time, instead continuing on as if he had not noticed it at all. But when he passed a side street that also linked to the tunnel network, he ducked out of sight just behind the tunnel's entrance, breathing shallowly to prevent any sound giving him away.<br>After a few moments he began to hear a faint clicking that was becoming clearer as it grew closer. Then the sound of some heavy breathing joined it, not like panting and definitely not right for someone out of breath or someone who had been exerting themselves.  
>All those sounds paused to give way to some snuffling, then the continued to approach. There was a brief growl that sounded annoyed, then a creature bounded past him into the tunnels. Hayner caught sight of it before it had disappeared around the corner and into the tunnels.<br>"A wolf... or werewolf?" he murmured to himself. "A werewolf would mean Sora... but how did Sora get back into here?"  
>A loud scratching came from inside the tunnels, then the sounds of clicking came back toward him. Had the wolf heard him? It had clearly been following him, but why? He would have run, but curiosity got the better of him, and he stood looking into the tunnels after the wolf, waiting for it to return.<br>The wolf did come back, its grey fur and deep green eyes proving that this could not have been Sora – his fur and eyes were different when he'd become a wolf, and since they'd been told he was the last werewolf, this had to be a true wolf.  
>He watched as the wolf slowed, approaching him without once letting its eyes stray. Then as quickly as it had brushed past him, it turned sharply and headed back into the tunnels again. A few moments later, a howl echoed up out of them, raising the hairs on the back of Hayner's neck.<br>He'd heard similar howls when he'd been in his own Twilight Town, though no one had ever seen the wolves giving them. They also had the same effect, but somehow they were more chilling than this had been, as if there were more to them. This one lacked the same ambience heard in the real ones, perhaps because they weren't real.  
>Hayner shook himself, reminding himself this had just been a distraction from his original plan, and headed off, not giving a second thought to the wolf or the howl it had given. Instead he wondered how his opposite was handling things in the real Twilight Town.<p>

"Come on Hayner, it won't bite," Olette insisted, almost having to force an ice cream into his hand while Pence looked on with badly concealed amusement.  
>"You guys actually eat this stuff?" he asked, looking at it as if expecting it to attack. "I mean, it's frozen."<br>"It's meant to be frozen. Don't you ever eat them yourself?"  
>"I don't think they're even sold in my Twilight Town. Most stuff we get isn't even kept cold, raw but not cold."<br>"Just try it," she persisted. "Our Hayner can't seem to get enough of them. You'll love it too."  
>Somewhat hesitantly, he finally gave in and took a bite.<br>"Kinda weird, having something cold," he remarked. "I guess it's not bad though."  
>"Not bad? That's all you've got to say about it?"<br>"What do you expect me to say? I'm used to... other stuff." He shook his head, "I don't tend to vary my diet too much. Meat mostly, and a few decent plants."  
>"Meat?" Pence asked curiously. "What are you, a wolf?"<br>"Werewolf, actually," Hayner replied, unconcerned. "Though technically I don't count as one because there's also no moon in our Twilight Town. I can only go from human to wolf, because I've never had a moon to pay respects to, and even then she wouldn't give me what I'm missing for two reasons."  
>"What are they?" Olette asked.<br>"First, I'm not real," he explained. "Your Hayner is, but me? I'm just a copy of him. And second... I don't want to mention it. I hear you don't even have any of it here."  
>"You mean the Hexafaun," Pence said. "I found out about it when I was investigating the simulation. As far as I can tell, it can only exist there because the conditions are exactly right for it. There's only a few ways to replicate the conditions in this world, and they're not worth the effort."<br>Hayner nodded, "A plant that changes anyone who eats it. The effects are invaluable for anyone living in our world, but it means that we Werewolves, and by extension any vampires that arise in our world are also changed. It's that plant and its changes that stop us from gaining the same as any Werewolf here."  
>"Wait a moment. You said the worlds are linked, right?" Olette asked Pence.<br>"That's right. Some things carry over from one to the other, why?"  
>"Then how can he be a Werewolf, when everyone here got turned into vampires?"<br>"Good question," Pence replied, frowning. "I'll have to look into it. I ought to check up on Hayner anyway, make sure he hasn't done anything stupid."  
>"Like go to the beach," Hayner agreed. "Especially not to the cove," he added to Olette when Pence had left. "Twinmirror Cove, just up the coast from the beach."<br>"That exists here too. What's so bad about it?"  
>"It's the only place in our world where a moon will show up," he explained. "Both vampires and Werewolves have a stronghold there, because of the moon's presence. We might be dark Werewolves because of the Hexafaun plant, but the moon enhances the effect of the plant. If he, a human goes there..."<br>"It'd be really dangerous for him, wouldn't it?" Olette finished.  
>"Not just dangerous. There's no telling what either side might do to him. The vampires might just consider him a snack, both sides might decide to turn him. If he gets turned, he won't be able to leave for long."<br>"If you're a Werewolf..."  
>"Oh, I've been one for a long time," he said dismissively. "I'll only get a few withdrawal symptoms from not having a Hexafaun leaf after a few months, and he'll be back long before that... I hope."<br>"Can't we bring some out?"  
>"How? Pence is the only one who knows how to get people in and out, and he isn't likely to bring anyone else out, let alone send anyone else in."<p>

Pence hurried back to the old mansion, muttering complaints to himself while he was still alone. He hadn't had a leaf for over a day now, he was having to put up with people who he knew hated him in his own world – and he hated them in return.  
>"A bloody Werewolf!" he swore under his breath, shoving the gates open more roughly than was necessary. One of the gates fell off the rusted hinges. "I should have known he was a Werewolf! Why else would he insist on not going to the Cove? They'd recognise him there, that's why! And what do Werewolves do when they encounter an imposter?"<br>He didn't answer his own question, in part because he didn't know, but also because he intended to see that it never happened. They needed Hayner human for this to work – if he was a Werewolf, whether a dark Werewolf or not, he might find out there was a Werewolf working for them, and with a vampire at that – something they all knew to be considered forbidden among any Werewolf. And if he found that out, he'd be obliged to kill their vampire, his mother-  
>No. He couldn't allow that to happen. She was all he had left. He'd have to get word to them and insist they do everything to stop him from going to the Cove.<br>When he finally reached the computer to make the connection to the other world, he had no idea who was going to answered. Unexpectedly, it was the one in charge who answered the call – only his mother and their friendly Werewolf knew his name.  
>"Pence," the outline of the concealed face murmured with a barely visible nod. "You are not due to report in yet."<br>"We've gotta situation," Pence breathed hard. "Hayner – our Hayner – is a Werewolf. If their one goes to the Cove-"  
>"We have made plans to prevent him from going to Twinmirror Cove already. It would only place him in danger. Your concern is well warranted, but unnecessary. However, it is good that you are here – I had been about to call you myself."<br>"What for?"  
>"What else? You are our doorman, Pence. Our way out. I have been monitoring the link from this end since you repaired the computer here, and I believe it is now stable enough to support regular transfers of our people to their world. Obviously, as you have been there the longest, you will be in a prime position to advise them on the nuances of that world so they do not stand out."<br>Pence verified the stability on his end, calming himself as he examined it.  
>"Two, three at the very most," he told the unnamed face cryptically. "Give it another two, maybe three hours and we'll be able to go with five for certain. But until tomorrow, we'll have to leave it about half an hour between transfers, and we should try to avoid people that would be easily recognised on this side."<br>"Understandable, but I must overrule you on your last point. Your... friend has directed me to Seifer, who I have been in discussions with. He will become my lieutenant in that world – my eyes and ears. His orders are to organize our efforts there, learn more, and submit reports to you that are to be forwarded on to me. He and his two selected aides are in position and awaiting transfer."  
>"Seifer," Pence repeated weakly. "But Seifer..."<br>"Is there a problem with that?" he was asked sternly.  
>"N-no. No problem. I'll have them transferred over shortly. Pence out," he added, closing the connection. "He wants me to work <em>with<em> Seifer?" he breathed. "Is he insane?"


	6. Journey's Start

Hayner had searched the station exhaustively for any exit that wasn't normally there, and exits that were normally there, and had finally conceded defeat. Not only was there any way up to the keep, there was no way to reach the top of the clock tower either. The normal route up to it simply did not exist here. So how did anyone reach there, and why had the route been removed?  
>No trams ran to get around the town either, and even the trains that left town seemed limited to just one train, left on the main track completely unattended. Like everything else in the station, it was covered in a thick layer of dust, except where he had left his own tracks.<br>What else was there to try? Perhaps... why not? What did he have to lose?  
>He tried to open the door to the engine's cab, only to find it was stuck fast. He gave it a heave to start opening it, then two more finally had it open to the point of being able to squeeze in.<br>The air inside was musty and even more dusty than it had been outside, concealing the engine's controls, and with even less light to see by it would have been difficult to make out even the general idea of the cab. As it was, with the leaf still bolstering his sight it was only some slight darkness.  
>He let a hand drag over the controls, brushing dust off them and into a small cloud that threatened to make him sneeze as the underlying surfaces lit up in response, a mechanical humming signifying the engine itself humming into life. This was easier than he'd thought. The controls were even labelled so obviously that no one could fail to understand how to drive this train.<br>A glance out of the cab to make sure there were no obstructions and the gate exiting onto the mainline was open, and he set the train in motion with only a few keyed in commands. It jerked into life with a hiss of air, slowly at first but picking up speed.  
>There were windows in the cab made for seeing out, but they were useless in their grimy state. A cloth was dug out from a compartment underneath the controls, dry and tough, but a half-full bottle of water next to it allowed for it to be dampened and wiped over the windows to see.<br>"Stop that train!" a voice called commandingly. Hayner leaned out of the cab again to get a clear view and saw a tall woman in a blue gown and white gloves that reached almost up to her elbows. The train had not yet left the station itself, allowing him to clearly see her eyes – fully red, like that of the vampire he had once been, even for a short time.  
>Between her and him a small ragtag group of people, shabbily dressed with blank, almost mindless expressions were running after the train as it started to leave the station. They too had red eyes, but much darker than the evil glinting red of the lady that had commanded them.<br>They ran much faster than they should have been able to he noted, and despite his own acceleration they were gaining fast. As one reached the gap in the door he tried to grab hold, but Hayner pried his hands off, sending the assailant tumbling into others. They ignored the plight of their comrades however, and stepped over and even on each other to continue to reach him.  
>Some of the less wary walked blindly into the wall when the tracks exited the station, but others continued after him, running along the narrow ledge that separated the tracks from the sheer drop to the town below without a care for their own safety. Several of them did fall off, while the remaining ones paid no heed to this, still continuing after him.<br>One of them managed to grab hold not just of the door to the cab, but his arm. He hesitated momentarily, then roughly picked up his attacker, pulling him off the door and threw him down over the edge of the viaduct they were now crossing.  
>The remaining ones broke off pursuit as the train continued to pick up speed and began to outrun them, staring blankly after him for a time, then shambling back along the tracks to the station. It had been an eerie attack, with not a sound made by any of them at any point – just the original lady's command to stop him.<br>That in itself was a bit of a puzzle. He was certain he'd seen her before somewhere, but couldn't recall where or who she was – and anyway, how could she be a vampire here, no vampires had come here. They'd only attacked the real Twilight Town, his Twilight Town. Why would she or anyone have reason to stop him from taking out this dusty old train and seeing where it lead to?  
>Through the open door and the newly cleaned windows he could see this Twilight Town receding into the distance, the landscape below the tall viaduct rolling past rapidly, being mostly grassy and untouched hills. It was a true natural landscape down there, and like the forest outside the old mansion it appeared to grow without concern for the lack of natural light.<br>He had no idea where this train was headed or what he'd find, but at least he could be certain there was no one else aboard, and most likely no one else wherever he was headed. Few people, if any, would venture over the tracks or the terrain below to follow him. He would just have to wait and see what mystery journey he had brought on himself.

Pence glanced up at the sound of footsteps approaching, squinting to see anything in the gloomy light. Aside from some small meals pushed through the bars of the cage he was held in, there had been no contact at all with his captors, and no words spoken.  
>He'd explored the limited confines of the cage slightly and found it just large enough to stand up and walk about three good sized paces in each direction, and that was all. The bars were built directly into the stone floor and immovable, leaving him no choice in where he was going – nowhere.<br>"Perhaps you would be willing to consider cooperating?" the voice asked. It was the same one that had spoken to him last time, the one that had cut him loose.  
>"What do you want from me?"<br>"Information. In exchange, I will release you with the agreement that you will not attempt escape."  
>"Let me go first."<br>"In a moment. I want your word on the escape matter."  
>Pence considered, then decided there was little choice. "Alright," he sighed. "You have my word. I won't try to escape. Unless..."<br>"Unless?" the voice prompted.  
>"Unless someone else decides to try and rescue me."<br>"As the chances of that are quite slim, I agree to your terms."  
>The figure moved closer to the bars that made up the door and placed his hand over the lock. A few moments later, it clunked, though the hand was not removed for a few moments afterwards. Pence warily stepped out of the cage, watching the shadowy outline of the figure.<br>"Who are you?"  
>"I am known by many names. Some call me by my predecessor's name, though he never came here himself. To my knowledge he never set foot in your Twilight Town either."<br>"How did you get here then?"  
>"In good time. Provide good information and I will be more inclined to divulge more. Come, follow me."<br>Pence followed, thought stumbled over the uneven floor until they came to a small rectangle table with a tiny pool of light illuminating it, but leaving the chairs around it in the shadows. The figure took the head of the table. Without knowing why, he took the seat furthest from him on his right.  
>"Curious choice," the figure noted. "The same place he chose."<br>"He who?"  
>"You are aware you are in Twilight Town, but you are also not in the same Twilight Town?"<br>"Yeah, I got that." Realization dawned. "Oh, I get it. There's another me here, isn't there?"  
>"There was. Until recently, that is. He has supplanted you in your world to further our goals, while you... you have been brought here to me."<br>"Why?"  
>"Your counterpart here suggested that you would not be able handle what we require, while your friend Hayner could. Unfortunately, it was decided that we could not count on the Hayner from our world as he is... involved in certain things here. Yours is thankfully free from those influences, and therefore perfect for our designs."<br>"And you're not gonna tell me what they are, right?"  
>"Not yet. No, first I want to learn from you."<br>"What do you want to know?"  
>"Tell me..." he paused, then said, "Tell me about Hayner."<p> 


	7. Arrivals

Hayner dozed, not knowing when the train would reach whatever destination it was going to, or what he might see along the way. He'd tried to stay awake for the whole journey, but after a time it had become clear it was going to take much longer, so he'd sunk down into sleep without a thought for stopping the train.  
>When the slow realization dawned on him that there was no sound of the engine running and no feeling of movement beneath him, he roused himself and glanced around. The door on the other side of the cab had now also been forced open, and a few new footprints littered the dusty floor. Someone else had boarded the train, brought it to a stop, then left again.<br>He glanced out only to see it was in another station, by the looks of it the familiar, though abandoned, beach station. It was just as dusty as Twilight Town's station, suggesting that it too had not seen use in a long time.  
>There were fresh footprints in the dust though, leading away from the door that had been forced open. Hayner considered this, absently taking out the extra leaf he'd picked before he left and starting to eat it without even thinking about it. Once finished, he appeared to reach a decision and pushed himself up to follow the trail of footsteps.<br>The train had come into the beach station on the platform furthest from the entrance, leaving a long trail for him to follow. First they headed to the shared end of the station, alongside the station's long disused stores, where they turned aside behind a large supporting column. There the trail grew strange, no longer human footprints but becoming a series of pawprints leading away instead.  
>"Werewolf," he breathed, recognising the large prints easily. A closer examination revealed several long hairs to confirm his suspicions, no doubt left behind from the werewolf's fur.<br>As if in response to this thought, a howl rang out from beyond the station loud and clear. Unlike the one he'd heard in the tunnels, this one held the full range of harmonics, it was a real howl from a real wolf or werewolf, and not from one of this town's simulations of a wolf.  
>Hayner ran outside, only glancing at the trail of pawprints that mirrored his route. The wolf, be it a true one or a werewolf, could still be heard when he got outside, and after only a moment to orient himself he headed toward where it sounded like it was coming from.<br>The howl ended before he found the one who'd given it, but he continued on all the same, passing the collection of wrecked shacks and houses that had once made up the old seaside beach town better known as the Destiny Islands. Evidently without a sun to enjoy here, it had lost its appeal to the locals.  
>In the distance, the smaller island where the younger residents often went to play without adult interference could be seen, though even it appeared to be different here. The wildlife on the island seemed to have grown wild, taking over any structures that had once been built there, giving it an almost feral appearance.<br>Then the town was being left behind as he headed up the rocky path up the hills behind. The plant life here too had become overgrown, almost enough to be taller than he was, but the path he was travelling along was kept clear of any straying plants. It was as if someone had just carved a swathe through the jungle around him.  
>It dropped away sharply when he reached the top of the hill, returning to the neatly clipped lawns that were here in the real world counterpart to this cliffside retreat he knew as Twinmirror Cove. As he crested the hill he was bathed in a gentle light coming from a full moon ahead that seemed to be exactly the same distance from the fortress at the peak of the left branch of the path, and the forest on the opposite side of the Cove to it.<br>Where the path branched, there was an old sign that named the place as Twinmirror Cove, the rest of the words too faded to read. In his own world, Hayner knew that they were warnings to keep away from the cliff's edge, and to keep away from the forest due to wild animals that inhabited the forest.  
>It also told of the legend behind the Cove's name, saying that on both sides there had once been a stronghold that belonged to two warring factions, and what one side did, the other mirrored, forcing both sides to counter their own manoeuvre even as their opposites countered it themselves. The fortress that had stood where the forest now lay had been destroyed in an event known only as the Second Great War, a name that came from some who claimed to be survivors of it, but spoke nothing of it.<br>Legend also told that this Cove reached out to any other Cove like it, and Cove twinned with it, and sometimes effects, memories and more would make their way from one such Cove and another. These two legends together had given the place its name – Twinmirror Cove.  
>But what held his attention more than the sign was the great wolf sat in front of it. It was mostly a light brown, but patches seemed waver in colour, even becoming colours that were most un-wolflike, with a thick silvery ruff just behind the neck. There were small patches of reds and yellows, and lighter, almost blonde fur around the paws.<br>Hanging on a chain around the wolf's neck was a silver crown on a chain, swaying slightly in the faint breeze, occasionally glinting when it caught the faint moonlight. The most prominent feature though were the red eyes, not bright red, but a dull red, watching him. They were the only part of this werewolf – he was sure of that now – that was not familiar. Had they been blue...  
>"Sora?" Hayner murmured, taking an unconscious step back. If it was him, he was not one to be tangled with lightly, that was for sure. But why was he here? Had he followed some lasting scent of his own brief time as a vampire? Or was he here to track down any vampires in this world?<br>The werewolf shook itself, then rose, turned and bounded up the right path toward the forested region above. Was that an indication to follow? He took it as such, heading up the path after it.  
>From his left, there seemed to come a faint angry snarl that caused him to pause, glancing up the other path toward the fortress with its orange slits where the windows were, but then he shrugged and continued up the right path.<p>

Pence had decided to keep his views to himself since Seifer had been sent through, mostly because he had given him the delivery of Hexafaun leaves that he'd asked for. He might not like Seifer or like having to work with him, but as long as he had a leaf to munch on whenever he started to get agitated, he reasoned it'd be fine.  
>Now that he had a small supply, he could set about cultivating them here. He was not the only one to have built up an addiction to the leaves and their effects, and as the plants did not naturally grow anywhere, let alone here, he'd have to find a safe way to replicate the conditions they needed.<br>Several more small groups had been brought through since Seifer's arrival, and he'd commandeered one of them to give him a hand managing. Now they were the one passing on the general advice about this world, while he focused on maintaining their connection and bringing others through safely.  
>However, not everyone had made it successfully no matter how much care he took. Everyone had survived, but some... they'd had to set up a triage area upstairs in the mansion that had become their home in this world.<br>Most of those injured had entered this world with only minor injuries. Some few had appeared missing parts or in rare cases even a whole limb. Rarer still were worse cases than that. But one of the oddest and most common cases were of people arriving that had been fine in their own world, but appeared here in this world partially covered in some of the fungus from their own.  
>Removing it had not been trivial, as it seemed to be parasitic in nature and not willing to let go easily. A few early subjects had agreed to let the doctors attempt to remove it, there had been no fatalities, but there were clear marks left from the procedures. Fewer people had opted to be treated that way, instead preferring to help with newer treatments.<br>All the while, Pence kept a close watch on Hayner. Somehow he'd managed to slip past whatever arrangements had been made and gone to Twinmirror Cove – and worse, there was an unknown intruder inside the simulation, a real person from the real world and not anyone native to either Twilight Town or the simulated version. Who they were and what their intentions were was a secondary matter to how they'd managed to get in at all, let alone unnoticed.  
>His attempts to investigate were again interrupted by a signal from the other side, signifying another group ready to come through. He didn't bother to acknowledge the signal, instead transferring them directly over to this world. There was only one person on this one, the system on the other side reported.<br>To his surprise, it turned out to be his mother, as usual with the bright red eyes that proved she never let her craving for blood get ahead of her.  
>"You're here!" he exclaimed, his investigation forgotten.<br>"Of course I'm here," she replied warmly. "I told you I'd come as soon as I could, didn't I? Has Seifer given you any trouble?"  
>"No, mother. Once he got out of the mansion he kept to himself. Anything he wants me to forward on, he gets Rai to bring to me instead because he can't stand the sight of me... or so Rai says."<br>"Good thing too. We still need you, Pence. Now be honest with me son... I know you get your own supply of our leaves from somewhere, and they're nearly always on the same level as my own."  
>"I don't know about that..." he protested. "Yours are always better than hers," he said, then looked chagrined.<br>"You're not in trouble, don't worry. We just need to know who she is, and where to find her."  
>"I don't go to her myself," Pence admitted. "She hates me with a vengeance. But I know where she is. On Market street, there's a back street just up from the noticeboard. You go down there, and her store is right behind the red curtain. Why do you need her?"<br>"We received word that you've been having trouble growing our plants here. Much as I would love to protest otherwise... it appears your supplier knows a great deal more about growing the plants than anyone else, and so we are... acquiring her services."  
>"I guess that frees me up from having to do it. I've got an anomaly I'm trying to figure out anyway." He briefly explained what little he knew about the intruder.<br>"Inconvenient, but it changes nothing," she told him eventually. "Ignore this and continue your work. His lordship will advise us when it is time to begin the final phase."  
>"About that... I can't be sure it'll work yet."<br>"It's your job to see that it does work, Pence. And you must ensure their Hayner is returned to this world safely too, or we risk something happening to our own."


End file.
